1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to telecommunications systems, and more particularly to a phone system for providing simultaneous multiline telephone and data calls over a single access facility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Telephone customers, especially residential customers, are desirous of being able to simultaneously support multiple telephones calls while accessing data services including the Internet World Wide Web. This demand is being driven by the explosive growth of home computers, fax machines, and the need for multiple phone numbers for a single residence. Currently, about one-third of the American households have more than one phone line, and one-half of the American households have personal computers with a significant number of these households accessing the Internet World Wide Web.
As each standard analog phone line offered by telephone companies currently supports the use of a one telephone service at a time (e.g., a voice call, or a data call), customers must have installed multiple telephone lines to simultaneously use multiple calls. For example, two analog lines are needed to simultaneously make a telephone call while using a personal computer to access the Internet; three lines are required for two phone calls and one data call; and four analog telephone lines for two phones calls, one fax call, and one data call. This becomes quite expensive to have several simultaneous calls as the customer must pay for each phone line, usually on a monthly basis.
Another limitation to providing a plurality of phone lines to the vast majority of residences is the limited embedded copper plant of telephone companies. Typically, each phone line is provided over a single twisted copper pair to the residence, with each residence having only one or two twisted pair to the telephone company. Thus, many customers are limited to simultaneously operating one or two telephonic devices. Therefore, customers are desirous of a service which allows the placement of a plurality of calls over a single analog telephone line.